A man, thinking he had found a “hornet’s nest” in his attic, was struck with panic when he discovered what was really inside…   See the first comment.   

In Finistère, Brittany, a former sailor turned beekeeper invented a revolutionary trap to combat Asian hornets. His invention, awarded at the Lépine competition, has been so successful that it is now distributed in 18 European countries and is preparing to expand to the United States.

The story of this invention dates back to 2016, when Denis Jaffré, a beekeeper and victim of an Asian hornet attack, decided to create a solution to protect his hives. After losing half of his colonies, or 50 hives, he developed a trap so effective that he founded the company Jabeprode in 2019. Two years later, his invention won an award at the Lépine competition, marking the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

Today, Jabeprode generates over one million euros in revenue, and its traps are shipped across Europe. The company serves not only beekeepers but also private individuals, local authorities, and departments like Haute-Savoie.

The production, which started in an artisanal manner in Denis Jaffré’s living room, is now done in a 480 m² workshop in Bodilis, where seven employees work.

The beekeeper plans to further expand his business by launching a crowdfunding campaign to acquire his current production site. He also hopes to offer training on ecological methods of hornet nest destruction, using sulfur dioxide, a gas that is environmentally friendly.

His trap, simple yet effective, is not harmful to biodiversity. It consists of a container with attractants and a box covered with fabric, featuring cones sized to fit the queens of hornets. Only the Asian hornets are trapped, while other insects can escape.

Denis Jaffré’s goal is to raise awareness of accident risks and control the spread of Asian hornets, particularly in high-risk areas. His product is now attracting international attention, with requests coming from the United States.